Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-13
(5) For the man Smith you mention
here is hut one treatm ent-piye him all the

Prisoners are confined for Violations OF
laws made to govern society. Having
failed to be governed by these laws, they
are placed in another situation, with diff
ferent laws, which they must obey or take
the consequences.
c. w. Crosley, Warden of the Iowa Pen
itentiary, writes The use OF wise and
humane modes of punishment must not
be prohibited, unless the theorists who
know nothing of practical prison manage
ment, and who are invariably confident
that they know how to run prison, are
placed in charge and the practical men sent
TO the rear. In that case it would not take
long to demonstrate the tact that mistake
had been made, and an injustice done to
men who are honestly endeavoring to do
their duty, both to the State and the pris-
oners under their charge
He answers the questions propounded as
follows: 1) Solitary confinement. (2}
Solitary confinement and indictment by
Grand Jury. (3) think confinement in
solitary separate and apart from the cell
house better. (4) Strongly constructed
part wood, part iron-with openings for
light and ventilation, but not light enough
to see to read only dim light-not a
dungeon. (5) l would put him in solitary
confinement and handcuff him, and if nee
essary shackle him SO that he could not in
JuTe tiny one else or himself.
w. o. Dowell, Deputy Warden of the
Southern Illinois Penitentiary, at Chester,
in answer to the letter written to him
about the treatment of prisoners at the
Chester Penitentiary, writes as follows
| came to this prison at the age of 25, and
have been here ten years. I believe |
know pretty well the character and nature
of criminals.
My idea of penitentiary is that it is a
place of penitence for those who illegally
prey upon society and violate the laws of
our country. By penitence, | mean that
they should be given ample opportunity to
reflect ON the evils resulting from crime,
and go fourth and sin no more" Very
few avail themselves of the chance. "Once
thief, always thief :" is, generally, a cor
| rect adage. We have men who have spent
nearly their entire life in prison, and there
Is no such thing as reform in them. In
order that man may fully understand the
results of disobedience to our prison rules,
| explain the law to him in as clear and
firm manner as possible, and impress
upon him the punishment which will be
heaped upon him should he deyiate from
the beaten path.
He is given full copy of the rules,
which he takes to his cell. When assigned
to work. the keeper again explains to him
rules of the prison. If new man, and
he violates trivial rule, the officer under
whom he works Immediately tells him he
is guilty of breach of discipline, and
warns him against a repetition of the of
Tense; its second violation is followed by a
report to me, and he is then "my man y
and, as the prisoners say, "goes TO the
hole" We give them all these advant-
ages in learning the rules. and then if they
violate them they do it with their ewes
open, and can blame no one but themselves
for the punishment they merit. The
officers of this prison run it. No convict
shares any responsibility of the manage
ment. No convict is so small he will be
overlooked, or too large 10 be subdued if
he does not do as we want him to. We
ask no impossibilities of them, but that
which we do ask must be performed, with
no back talk attended. In case of sick
ness, we invariably give them the benefit
of the doubt. 1t is not every one, how
ever, who claims sickness who is unwel.
We are "onto' the tobacco swal-
lowers" the "soap and candle eaters, +"
the " lung bleeders" Caused by the use of
toothpick in the roof of the mouth), and
all those harmless little epidemics," and
a week or ten days in the solitary cell is a
better medicine than all the drugs IN the
conclusive evidence that the fellow is play-
ing of before resorting to extreme meas
ures.
The Doctor, Warden, all concerned hold
council on the special case. Our mode OF
punishment is solitary confinement.
When send a prisoner to the solitary
! the evidence must be unmistakablv posi-
tive of his guilt, and he goes in for punish.
ment, and does not get out until con-
| quered. ! kept one man nineteen and a
half days chained to the door, eighteen
hours per day, before he would submit, and
ne has been since then a good prisoner.
Never let man out when mad. Keep him
until thoroughly tame, and he is much
, easier handled. A man of sense does not
want more than two days in the hole. F."
Punishment for assaults on officers and
fellow prisoners is much more severe than
the above. Some play the insane dodge,
and it is a delicate subject to handle. We
| have two long-term men now at large, who
were sent to the Asylum and escaped. None
of us believed them insane, but the Board
erred, yet it was for safety, as they honestly
thought, on the side of humanity. If a
man plays or is really insane, we first place
him in our court-solitar.r confinement
| not punishment. Give him all the comforts
posslble-good bed, plenty to eat, medical
in shop and cell, and watch him unob-
servedly to himself for some time, and if
not really insane, he will "give it away"
When we find they are playing it. we move
them down stairs to the "hole," and keep
them there until they acknowledge it, and
punish them, too. We never miss the
mark. Our solitary is fine one-26 cells /:
thirteen above and thirteen below. 1t is
located in center of yard, entirely free from
all other of our buildings Solitary in a
cell block" same as yours, is fraud, and
should be abandoned
The instructions to our officers are to
prevent escapes at all hazards and protect
himself at any and all times from violence
by convict. If a convict attempts to
escape, and will not halt when ordered,
shoot him dead, if possible. If convict,
with intent to kill, assaults an officer fore
man, superintendent or any one else, even
another convict, protect the party assaulted
with discretionary measures, and if neces-
sary to kill the convict, the officer is justi-
fied in taking his life. Self-preservatien
Is the flrst law of nature" and we are
equally instructed to protect convict from
harm as to enforce other rules. For as
saulting an officer or forman convict with
intent to kill, we punish heavily with SOL
ltary confinement, and then give them the
prison baby :" to carry-a chain with
eighty pound ball attached. The shackle
we fit comfortably tight around the ankle,
and rivet it on. He won't get it of. We
have 800 men here, and some of the worst
the country affords. They soon find out
that we run the Penitentiary after our own
fashion and have but little trouble with
bad men. In the last thirty DAYS our pun
ishment record is thirty seven men, which
is about an average.
The philanthropists and humanitarians,
some OF them, seem to forget the fact that
the men sent to prison are the worst men
that mingle in society, and instead of max
ing them work and obey, that they should
be treated with childlike affection and
have the penitentiaries turned into palaces
have always thought it poor satisfaction
to be a taxpayer whose horse had been
stolen, safe or store robbed, barn or house
burned, or female member of the
family outraged, to know that the trans
gressor was faring better than he. and
some person was taking more interest in
him than would be in honest unfortunates.
| believe in treating convicts humanely
and kindly when they merit it. The true
principle of running a penitentiary is to
treat the MEN kindly. but firmly let them
know that the authorities are the bosses.
Feed well, clothe warmly, or comfortably,
and work them well. Ask nothing un-
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